Explosive compound.



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK AND JOSEPH G. BURBOWS, 01' PORT ARTHUR, ONTARIO, CANADA.

EXPLOSIVE COMPOUND.

Specification of Letters Iatent.

PatentedApr. 22, 1919.

No Drawing Continuation in part of application Serial No. 774,267,111 June 17, 1918. This application medoctober 13, 1917. Serial-No. 196,555.

To all whom it may concern: I

Be it known that we, FRANK R. BUR- Rows and JosErH G. Bonnows, subjects of the King of Great Britain, residing at Port Arthur, in the Province of Ontario and Dominion of Canada, have invented new and useful Improvements in Explosive Compounds, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to explosive compounds, and its object is to provide an explosive compound of great power and destructive strength,-and which is at the same time safe and cheap and susceptible of being easily and safely manufactured.

A further object of the invention is to provide an explosive compound which will not freeze and is absolutely safe from explosion except by detonation, which explodes without giving off injurious fuses, which allows sprung holes to be charged without the necessity of cooling off, and which possesses other material advantages, hereinafter fully described.

In carrying our invention into practice,

we provided an explosive compound consisting essentially of the followlng Ingredients or their substantial equivalents, to wit:

Ammonium perchlorate 6 parts Potassiiun' nitrate 56 parts Aluminium (30 mesh watercooled) 18 parts Alpha-trinitrotoluene, C H (N0 3 CH 18 parts Pure paraflin wax 2 parts Total 100 parts The ingredients are mixed in an ordinary incorporating mill, the potassium nitrate being first introduced and the mill kept in action for a period of about 30 minutes to effect its reduction to the desired degree of fineness, after which the al ha-trinitrotoluene and ammonium perch orate are introduced, the mass ground and agitated for a further period of 20 minutes, and the aluminium and wax then successively introduced and the mixture agitated, ground and stirred for like periods at each successive stage of introduction. From the mill the compound thus prepared is then passed to a sifter consisting of a revoluble screen drum covered by a wire mesh cloth (e. 9. about 16 meshes per inch), through which the powder discharges as the drum revolves. A number of brass or other hard balls are placed in this drum to break up all hard umps and to disintegrate all the material to the desired degree The powder is then filled lnto paper cartridge cases, preferably by a filling machine, and the cases folded and dipped in melted paraflin. The explosive in the form of cartridges is then ready for use.

This explosive compound possesses great explosive power, is non-freezing, and consequently the dangers experienced in the operations of thawing out other explosives are avoided, and it is also absolutely safe from explosion by attrition or friction, or by fire, or by blows or concussions from tools or the like. It does not give ofl' any injurious gases, as substantially all injurious gases are consumed in the explosive action. The explosive may be manufactured with absolute safety at all times, may be used in either wet or dry holes, and will explode only by detonation, using a detonator of not less than No. 6 strength. It may be simply and cheaply manufactured, allows holes to be charged and mis-fires to be treated without risk, and since it is not exploded by heat, a sprung hole may be charged thereby without danger and without the necessity of waiting until the bore is cooled, thus obviating the loss of time and danger incurred in the use of ordinary explosives.

The alpha-trinitrotoluene, -C,,H (NO CH (2-4-6-nitro-1-methyl benzene) employed in our composition, is a product of the nitration of liquid toluol, and has been found superior in every respect to liquid nitrotoluol or to any of the other isomers of trinitrotoluene in a composition of this character, as it has certain properties which the liquid. toluol or the other isomers do not possess.

The explosive prepared as described may be heated on a hot plate sufliciently to melt out the alpha-trinitrotoluene, and even if the plate is red-hot, the latter will burn slowly but the mixture will not explode. No other variety of trinitrotoluene will operate in this manner.

The water-cooled process aluminium employed in this improved explosive compound is prepared by pouring the molten material on to a rapidly revolving wheel which dashes it in the form of spray, into cold water. -This process produces large 'parti- 4 a out 30 meshes per linear inch, the particles of which are porous and hence in a highly reactive state. Aluminium prepared in any other Way does not give, in explosive work, the complete satisfaction and advantage aiforded by the aluminium as above stated. The form in which the aluminium is used in this compound is of material importance, and when used in connection with the other ingredients set forth provides a compound which possesses the desirable advantage before stated. The ammonium perchlorate is' a very important ingredient of the present composition, in that it forms a perfect combination between the aluminium and the alpha-trinitrotoluene, increasing the intensity of explosion to a great extent. While the compound when exploded glves off a quantity of smoke, this is of a harmless nature, the intensity of the explosion causin the consumption of all harmful gases. pound has a very ping action in blasting large masses of mo trinitrotoluene. v 2. An explosive compound including am-' he comdesirable and unique up;

and in the tests made, is' found to be of granules, prepare as set forth, and alphamonium perchlorate, potassium mtrate, porous, jagged-surfaced aluminium particles, prepared as set forth, alpha-trinitrotoluene and araflin.

' 3.- An 'exp osive com ound consisting substantially of 6 parts 0 ammonium perchlo-. rate, 56 parts of. potassium nitrate 18 parts of 30-mesh porous, jagged-surfaced aluminium particles, prepared as setforth,

18 parts of alpha-trinitrotoluene, and 2 parts of parafiin wax, all reduced to a fine powder and thoroughly mixed.

In testimony whereof we afiix our signatures.

FRANK R. BURROWS. JOSEPH C. BURROWS. 

